The City
Prior to 1723 the world had two histories: the history born from the account of man, and the history documented from the perspective of the others. From that moment on, the future unraveled in unpredictable and fantastic ways. This world may look similar to what you know… but trust me, it's different. Before 1723 a barrier separated the realm of man from what we call the realm of demons. Prior to 1723 contact made by humans with the realm of demons was limited to unintentional, unconscious slips. Nightmares, comas and other conditions of a similar nature were the marks of human involvement in the demonic realm, while interactions of demons with the realm of man were in turn identified as paranormal phenomena. Ghostly afterimages, weird occurrences: the strange stuff that bore legend and superstition. Before 1723, the realms existed simultaneously in parallel planes, separated by that barrier. The barrier delegated each realm as a specific, separate reality with only occasional interlopers. Until it stopped separating realities altogether. Humans don't know how it happened or why it happened, but in 1723 Blank created the break that shattered the barrier. Though things like water, mirrors, and death always made the barrier weak, whatever happened in Dubai in 1723 broke the barrier completely. In the years that followed, the entire fabric of time and space was altered. The realms of demons and humans? They collided and merged. The entities that had preyed upon a person’s unconscious psyche suddenly became both tangible and conspicuous. History back then was rough. There were plenty of apocalypse-now mayhem and mischief, a few wars, tons of blood and gore . . . but lucky for you, demons didn’t really want to wipe out mankind. In fact, demons needed us. They still do. Needless to say, stuff has evened out since then. While we were never able to go back to the way things were, life isn't all that bad. … Assuming you don't mind a little possession or demonic attachment. I'm joking. … Kinda. Major Floors 783 - Grootslang Grootslang is similar to Nairobi, Kenya and Dakar, Senegal. The City's stock exchange can be found in Ninka Nanka. The fortified Muslim town of Harar Jugol can be found in Tikoloshe. 573 - Decassus Decassus is similar to Tokyo, Japan, and Athens, Greece. Justice Hall can be found in Archaíos. City Hall and all the headquarters for the city's police are found in Decassus. Justice Hall is where the trials happen for the Panopticon. Jundo is the floating Buddhist garden of Hiraizumi. 401 - Monai (Ruins) MONAI IS NOW IN RUINS Monai was similar to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Mexico City, Mexico. Embassy Row could be found in Caipora. City Hall and all the headquarters for the city's police were found in Monai. City Hall was where the trials happened for the Panopticon. Chonchon was the floating garden of Xochimilco. 395 - Vetala Vetala is similar to New Delhi, India, and Tehran, Iran. Nagini is the biggest and most popular shopping zone in the world. Peri holds all of Damascus, Syria, as it was before the war. 319 - Behemoth Behemoth is similar to Venice, Italy, and St. Petersburg, Russia. Hurrock contains the Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau. Golem is the main drag where all the most expensive entertainment venues are held. 113 - Ghost Town Ghost Town is similar to Beijing, China, and Seoul, South Korea. Tengu is the long-term residents' shopping district. Qilin holds the Forbidden City of Beijing. Minor Floors 173 - Beltane's Festival Beltane's Festival dates back to the dark ages and is still celebrated once a year, every May! It's the City's own version of a Renaissance Fair: where technology ceases to function and clothing is optional—provided it's ye olde apparel. The floor is massive, and it might be a good idea to invest in a horse, if you can afford one! So, grab a giant turkey leg, bring your best jousting lance and prepare yourself for a good olde time. 313 - The Grand Library The Grand Library is an ancient library that was around as long as the Demon Realm has existed, but it appears only for one month every year. It contains hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of handwritten books, and is guarded by an ancient demon known as the Librarian. Why not come in, sit down and read a book or two? You'll never know what you will learn! 351 - Karkadann The 351st Floor of the City is named Karkadann, after the ancient, presumably mythical creature that once roamed the great plains of Persia. The name itself holds origins in the Persian “Kargadan”, their word for the Rhino, and means “Lord of the Desert”, and much like the name would imply, the weather on floor 351 is quite dry and hot, which would give the floor quite an arid feel were it not for the shift during nightfall. 505 - Abyss Abyss is both a paradise and a nightmare. As a floor of The City composed entirely of a massive ocean with spotty islands, it is home to tropical beach resorts, horrific deep-sea demons, and even pirates. Stretching from horizon to horizon, the sea in Abyss appears endless. In fact, it is roughly 95% water. It is fairly easy to get lost due to its massive size and limited landmass. Its can be terrifying to some, but to others, particularly criminal types, it is an ideal area to escape from authorities. Abyss is definitely not the place to go for anyone who can't swim or has a fear of drowning! Tourists love Abyss. There are dozens of small islands dotted throughout Abyss. Many of them hold beautiful beaches with clear, clean water. Fisherman love Abyss because the fish are always biting! Aquatic demons love Abyss because they can swim freely! Be careful though! There's always a bigger fish (or demon) waiting to snatch up its next meal. Pirates love Abyss because there are plenty of tourists to steal from and plenty of empty ocean to dump unwanted bodies! Business is good (legally and otherwise)! Abyss truly is a place for (almost) everyone! While the surface of Abyss is beautiful, the real magic happens under the sea. There is a seemingly endless amount of aquatic wildlife from massive whales to beautiful tropical fishies. The deeper you go, the darker it gets. Not even the sun's powerful rays can penetrate to the bottom of Abyss. Fish begin to glow with their own natural bioluminescence. The pressure of the water crushing down from above is intense. Only the strongest or most well-adapted to deep-sea life can survive as such extreme depths. Massive trenches taller than the tallest mountains on Earth go deeper and deeper. Hydrothermal vents at the deepest beds of the sea produce heat, chemicals, and minerals to support curious orgasms who have never seen the light of the sun. Who knows what else lies in the very deepest depths of Abyss?! In fact, there is a certain point in Abyss that is so deep that it was named "The Point of No Return." Why? Everyone who traveled there never returned! 773 - Aurelian Valley Known as The City's Natural Bounty, Aurelian valley is home to the single largest expanse of uncultivated wilderness in the city stack. A combination of Prairies and grasslands surrounded by a beautiful hillside of brilliant green pine, oak, and maple stretching up a craggy mountain range chocked full of ore rich rock and mineral deposits, this idyllic region of the city is the ultimate expanse for the primary economic sector: mining, logging, and agriculture. Commonly mistaken to be named after the mining industry, Aurelian Valley is actually named for the miles of wheat fields that stretch across the gently rolling hills in this area. Aurelian is the breadbasket of the city, and features most prominently the growth of grains like wheat, barley, and corn. Many liken the area to Western and Northern Canada: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Things here are simpler, most communities are made up of small townships based around one primary resource. Population numbers are never much larger than 20,000 people, and a vast majority of townships have populations of just a few thousand. Most of the floor's population are local residents, though the area is also home to a massive tourist industry with cottages, campgrounds, and nature resorts. Typically the local population don't take kindly to those from out of town, and it's not rare to hear stories of creepy isolated little villages dotted around the floor who do everything they can to keep the outside world out. The main tourist attraction in Aurelian valley is Banff Natural Park, home to glacial lakes Louise and Morraine, the gorgeous crystal clear water and beautiful sprawling mountain range are like scenes taken straight from a fairy tale. 921 - Apricate THE EDUCATIONAL DISTRICT OF THE CITY The city of Apricate is most similar to the luxurious mountain ranges of Mount Roraima, Venezuela with the antiquated cityscape of Prague, Czechoslovakia. With one key exception: the city rests surrounded by clouds. Floating islands constantly flux in location and rearrange themselves but they always intrinsically stick together despite changing road formations. Tread carefully traveler. FOUND SCRAWLED BETWEEN THE PAGES OF FROMMER'S GUIDE Filled with late antiquities and historical memory built into each brick, Apricate specializes in intellectual property, development and education. Mysteries often turn up to be solved, the moving puzzle piece that is the floating island themselves reveal much more than they will actually ever tell. It seems to be a hot bed for the lost from any floor (memories, items, paperwork) waiting to be found. Many universities and study programs call Apricate their home. White Rabbit are often found digging through the clues to find new treasures of those that lost something from their floor. SNAPPLE FACT DID YOU KNOW? Apricate has a lower level of gravity for those without the dominion? This allows denizens that take residence in Apricate not to fall off the edge of the floor as the city breaks apart and reshapes. Instead, they float right back up to the city itself. 1000 - The Demon Tournament "Welcome to the City's Demon Tournament—the largest source of entertainment in the entire world! This annual competition boasts an endless array of attractions. Any way that we can bleed you, we'll do it. Any way you can be entertained, you will be. Fame, glory, power, sex appeal? We got it. You want some? Come get it. If you're not ready to hurt or be hurt, go broke or win big, then back the fuck up and get out of my damn face. Hit the bricks, shitstain." — This has been a brief announcement from your friendly Demon Tournament Commissioner Fel Kent, The Dragon's Eye. The Farmland Due to the ever-increasing population of humans in the City, agricultural floors have been discovered. Though domesticated farming is still not possible, wild edibles can be found dotted across the landscape, which doubles as a pasture for a variety of livestock. Unknown Floors Tonton Macoute Tonton Macoute, sometimes known as the Harbor. It seems to be the one fixed space on the other floors, though the floor it’s on changes daily, sometimes hourly. Tonton Macoute usually encompasses most of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Its main drag falls down into the water of a famous harbor, where visitors by sea usually arrive. There are a number of famous seafood restaurants in the area (with remarkably fresh seafood from all over the world) including the Krab Kafe. Always worth a visit! Between Ground Kept from the public ear (and eye), there exists a number - a large one, at that - of what those in the know call 1/2 Floors. These are partially built, malformed, semi-floors that the City never fully completed. Much like ductwork in homes, these spaces attract 'vermin': monsters, lesser demons, untold horrors. These are not spaces for the casual visitors. Below Ground Panopticon The Panopticon has a massive stockpile of anti-dominion technology, and is the largest and most secure anti-dominion technology currently available. Panopticon is actually three prisons: Xibalba is for women, Duzakh is for men, Naraka is for people of other genders.